1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a weight release mechanism for an underwater object. More particularly, the present invention relates to the weight release mechanism of a recyclable underwater object.
2. Description of Related Art
Underwater objects are often deployed at the bottom of ocean to investigate seismic activities or deployed underwater in other oceanography research projects. To retrieve the underwater object for reuse, most underwater objects are designed to include some self-buoyancy. The self-buoyant underwater object is connected to a dead weight so that the buoyancy is canceled. The dead weight pulls the underwater object to sea bottom so that all kinds of oceanographic researches and tests can be conducted. To retrieve the underwater object, the connection mechanism linking the underwater object and the weight is severed so that the dead weight is discarded while the underwater object rises to the surface under its buoyancy force. The underwater object is then collected for further analysis or reused.
After the completion of an underwater mission, the underwater object is released back to the surface by remotely triggering a small explosion to break up the linkage that originally joins the underwater object and the dead weight together. Once the linkage connecting the dead weight and the underwater object is cut, the weight is dumped. Through self-buoyancy, the underwater object rises to the surface for collection. However, the use of explosives by remote control to break the connection is not very reliable. The explosive may damage the underwater object because the precise amount of explosives needed to break up the linkage is difficult to predict.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a simple-to-operate, low-cost and safe weight releasing mechanism for an underwater object. Through a detachable latching mechanism between the underwater object and a matching weight together with various remote-control driving circuits, the matching weight of the underwater object is easily released. The detachable latching mechanism is a damage-free mechanism that may operate repeatedly to release any attached weights. Since separation of the weight from the underwater object is effected by electrically driven rotation, power needed to release the heavy block can be easily estimated.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a weight releasing mechanism for an underwater object. The releasing mechanism facilitates the separation of the underwater object from a heavy block and hence the subsequent retrieval of the underwater object on the surface of water. The underwater object is intrinsically buoyant and has a groove for engaging a heavy block. The groove has a bottom surface with a through hole. The underwater object""s weight releasing mechanism includes a heavy block, one or more springs, a bearing and an electric motor.
The heavy block is engaged inside the groove so that the weight of the heavy block may overcome the buoyancy force of the underwater object and make the underwater object sink to the bottom. The heavy block has a flat surface. The flat surface has a latching groove and a spring groove thereon. The latching groove has an opening. When the heavy block is put inside the heavy block groove, the flat surface of the heavy block is pressed against the bottom surface of the heavy block groove.
A spring is put inside each spring groove. Overall length of the spring is larger than the depth of the spring groove. When the heavy block is put inside the heavy block groove, the ends of the spring are in contact with the bottom section of the spring groove and the bottom surface of the heavy block groove respectively. In other words, the spring is compressed to store up a spring load.
The bearing is installed inside the underwater object. A rotary spindle is tightly engaged inside the through-hole and fixed relative to the bearing so that the spindle may rotate inside the through hole. The spindle further includes a first end and a second end. The first end is inside the heavy block groove while the second end is inside the underwater object. Furthermore, the first end has an engaging block. The cross-sectional profile of the engaging block at the first end is identical to the opening profile of the latching groove. Hence, the first end of the spindle may insert into the latching groove via the opening so that the engaging block can rotate inside the latching groove. The engaging block may hook to the latching groove interior so that the heavy block is fixed inside the heavy block groove.
The electric motor is enclosed inside the underwater object and coupled with the second end of the spindle so that the motor can drive the rotary spindle. The motor may further incorporate a set of rotary speed reduction gears. To ensure a perfect seal between spindle and through hole, a sealing ring may also be added to the spindle.
One major aspect of this invention is the introduction of a detachable latching mechanism to engage a detachable heavy block with the underwater object. Hence, the heavy block may be released without employing any explosives. Ultimately, the assembly is much safer to use.
Instead of destroying the linkage between the heavy block and the underwater object, the detachable latching mechanism of this invention may be used repeatedly without any damage.
Another characteristic of this invention is that the release mechanism is driven by electrically driven rotation so that the power for releasing of the heavy block from the underwater object can be estimated precisely.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.